Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I secured funding of €1.5 billion for ACRES. This is the largest amount ever committed to an agri-environment scheme. The Government committed this funding to support what is the central and flagship agri-environment climate measure in Ireland’s Common Agricultural Policy Strategic Plan 2023-2027. ACRES will not only play a huge role in driving environmental improvements, it will also provide crucial income support to farm families for the work they are doing.

Interest in the scheme has been unprecedented with 46,000 applications received for the first tranche last year. In response to this environmental ambition from Irish farmers I worked to ensure that all eligible applicants were admitted last year, immediately engaging with the stakeholders to ensure that this could and would be achieved.

Through ACRES, we are leading the way in delivering a national results-based scheme, with over 25% of all agricultural production land now scored. Farmers in Ireland are being recompensed for the high quality of their habitats. This is a reflection of the investment and commitment by farmers to enhancing environmental conditions and ecosystem services for all. For example, ACRES will deliver over 500,000 trees and more than 2,000 km of hedgerows.

I referenced our CSP and the fact that the new CAP will run from this year to the end of 2027. Working with my ministerial colleague, Deputy Michael McGrath, in what was then the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform, I secured a 50% increase in national co-funding for the CSP period. I am continuing to work with the Minister, Deputy Paschal Donohoe, in terms of stepping that out. This is the largest ever increase in national co-funding under CAP and it is profiled over a five-year period. As part of that 50% increase we have allocated funding to accommodate 50,000 farmers in ACRES. In our budget for next year we have profiled to step it up to that 50,000. Obviously, we will have to look to the future in terms of what will be possible but the budget allocation for next year is for an additional 4,000 farmers.

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